Park History

Throughout the city, particularly in older areas, you may see small parks that were established by real estate developers as they laid out streets and building lots for their subdivisions. These parks, and the names of adjoining streets, can tell us a great deal about the area’s history. An example is Seeling Park which was created when Parkview Estates was established in March 1939.

The subdivision was owned and developed by the three daughters of real estate investor Edward Seeling-Clara Seeling Lowery, Ella Seeling Jamieson, and Paula Seeling Pardo. The women and their husbands established Parkview Estates and dedicated land for streets and alleys as well as several parks. These were small, irregular parcels that resulted from the street pattern, and the largest (1.5 acres) was named Seeling Park. The adjoining streets-Pardo and Jamieson- carried the sisters’ married names. Jamieson Drive is today named Comfort.

Parkview Estates was outside of San Antonio’s City Limits until 1944 when it was one of the early subdivisions to be annexed. Since then, Seeling Park has continued to serve as a public play area for residents of the surrounding neighborhood, fulfilling the original intent of the Seeling sisters.